This primer presents key facts about child care and early education in New York City and delineates issues related to the current status of child care and early education. Specifically, the primer provides information on the number of children served by child care programs, Head Start, the Universal Prekindergarten program, preschool special education, and Superstart and Superstart Plus federal funds. Information is then presented in tabular or graphic form on the cost of child care, the shortage of care for infants and toddlers, provider compensation, the confusing nature of the system for parents, public funding flow, city investments in child care, child care settings, child care hours and regulations, publicly funded program characteristics, and the economic impact of child care. The primer makes the case that the child care and early education system is confusing to families and is characterized by: (1) uneven quality of care; (2) inadequate capacity for regulated services; (3) lack of a strategy for financing facilities; (4) limited subsidies; (5) inconsistent standards across agencies; (6) shortage of qualified professionals; (7) lack of comprehensive professional development strategy; (8) inadequate compensation for workforce; (9) limited planning and service coordination among agencies; and (10) a limited understanding of the child care industrys economic impacts. (KB)